The Ties That Bind Us
by Ananda17lady
Summary: The third and final installment of "What Are You Fighting For?"
1. Chapter 1

The Ties That Bind Us

Chapter 1

 _"We don't have a moment to lose. We have to warn the Master and the rest of the guild to prepare for battle!"_

Erza's pace quickened as the cadence of her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Lucy, carried by Lily, along with Natsu and Happy, went off ahead in order to get the celestial wizard's wounds tended to properly while the others followed behind on foot. Behind her, the Requip user could hear the sound of her friends' feet beating the ground, struggling to keep her already frantic pace, but she couldn't will her feet to slow down, nor push down her anxiety.

Unsure of how long she spent in that chamber to which Marin sent her, Erza knew she was there long enough to realize that "Emperor Spriggan" had something terrible in store for Fairy Tail, and she and her friends were the only advanced warning the guild would get. She also knew that the impending battle would be more than even Fairy Tail could hope to win alone, and Master Makarov would have the connections to bring in reinforcements to help. After all, if Fairy Tail fell, it would be but a matter of time before the other guilds followed suit.

They would have to call a temporary truce if they were to survive the invasion of the Alvarez Empire.

A sudden chill ran down her spine that caused the Requip wizard to shudder in her armor at the recollection of that horrid room in which she found herself. Overwhelmed with confusion and fear, the only thing she had failed to block from her memory was the voice of someone saying the phrase "Protect the Fairy Heart". Although Erza did not fully understood the importance of those cryptic words, her unease only heightened the urgency of their return.

When the sleepy town of Magnolia finally came into view, Erza paused and allowed herself to finally feel the slightest bit of relief: they had beat Zeref and his army home. Now, to find the master...

Driven by her desire to protect her guild and her family, Erza was on the move again, with the others not far behind, racing through the streets of town until the doors of the guild hall stood looming in front of her. Every head in the hall turned toward the entrance as the mighty doors were thrust open with enormous force from the outside and the threshold was crossed by Erza, followed by Gray, Levy, Wendy and Carla, and Gajeel.

Drying a plate from the other side of the bar, Mirajane's features beamed in relief as they entered, but upon seeing the serious looks on everyone's faces after what seemed to be the completion of their mission, her smile faded and instead replied, "Master is in the infirmary with the others."

Giving Mira a small smile, Erza thanked her and the group turned to make their way to the hallway that led to the infirmary.

* * *

It is said that it is a fine line between genius and insanity, and Zeref managed to walk that line perfectly. Burdened with circumstances that would have driven any other human being mad ages ago, Zeref wandered the earth like a vagabond, awaiting the day when Death would extend her kindness to him and allow him his long-overdue demise. For four hundred years, he watched as kingdoms rose and fell like the ocean tides, cursing his own existence as each time he would seek comfort through companionship with another life, be it human or animal alike, only to see it snuffed out before his eyes like a candle in a sudden gust of wind. It was during one of these wanderings that Zeref had his now fateful encounter with a young girl by the name of Mavis Vermillion, and although unbeknownst to them both at the time, their lives would be forever bound by fate from that day forward.

It would not be long before Zeref was confronted by Mavis' presence once again...

The Emperor Spriggan smiled at the thought; however, he dismissed it just as quickly, because they had now crested the mountains and were drawing ever nearer to the sleepy town of Magnolia, where deep below the guild hall lay Fairy Tail's darkest secret and greatest treasure: the lynch pin to the Emperor's plans.

* * *

On any given day it would seem that the beds were never completely empty on this wing of the guild hall; someone was always getting treated for a wound or illness he or she had contracted while out on a job, or just getting checked on by Wendy when she wasn't out on a job herself. And sometimes, it was solely because Natsu had started a fight that led to the guild hall being trashed and Erza knocking some temporary sense back into him. But this time, one of the beds was once again occupied by Lucy, who admittedly could have gone home to rest but Master Makarov insisted she stay at the guild so her physical - and mental - injuries could be closely monitored. When Erza and the others neared the end of the hall, she felt her unease intensify. Grabbing the knob gingerly, she took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves and let themselves in.

They were greeted with a smile from Makarov as they turned to look at the trio before them: Lucy, having her wrists and shoulder bandaged and in a sling, slept peacefully, her hair like a golden waterfall surrounding her head as it cascaded down her pillow; at the foot of her bed lay Happy, curled up like a kitten and softly purring in his sleep; and at her side, on an old wooden chair sat an exhausted Natsu, arms crossed in front of him and his head resting on the back as he ultimately failed in staying conscious until Lucy awoke. Erza felt her face brighten into a smile at the sight, but it quickly faded as she turned to ask the Master if they could speak in private.

But before she could speak, Makarov motioned silently for the group to follow him. Once back in the main hall, Gray and the others, having been told to visit Lucy after a rest, helped themselves to a seat at the bar, proceeding to thank Mira and Kinana for the drinks they set in front of them. Erza and Makarov continued on past the bar and up the stairs to the Master's Office. Only when they had reached his office and the door was closed and locked behind them did he give her a nod of permission to speak about what she really wanted to talk about.

"Has she spoken to you yet?"

Makarov gave a small nod in response. "Unfortunately, all she could tell me was that Zeref wanted to get to Fairy Tail, but she didn't know why. I have already contacted the other guilds about Zeref's invasion, and asked for their assistance. They should be arriving shortly."

"Well, I can tell you the why," Erza replied. "He's after Fairy Heart."

The old man furrowed his bushy eyebrows. "So...he knows she's here."

Erza's eyes widened. "She...?"

Makarov gave a nod as Erza's eyes met his.

* * *

Beneath the floor of the main room of the guild hall, several levels down a winding staircase and behind large ornate doors, Fairy Tail's greatest treasure and darkest secret was kept, its presence only known by the master of the guild, and the knowledge of it's existence only passed on to the upcoming master. Encased in crystal, her body and beauty were perfectly preserved, frozen in time for all eternity.

This treasure was Fairy Tail's First Master: Mavis Vermillion.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 _The relationship between the First Master and the Third Master of Fairy Tail was complicated at best; and although having been born in that guild hall, it was not until much later in his life that Makarov Dreyer would come to know about the presence of Mavis' body within its depths and the power it still possessed._

 _Makarov had grown up hearing stories from his father's friends about their treasure-hunting days, but his favorite were the ones about Mavis and the adventures they had together: how they first met Mavis, how she befriended them, how they learned to use magic, about the start of Fairy Tail, and how the spirit of the First Master lived on and watched over each of its members._

 _But more importantly Makarov felt a special bond with the First Master because of the story of his birth: how his mother had given birth to him in the guild hall, how Mavis had been there to give him his name, and how his mother had passed just as quickly afterward from the strain of her labor. It had been a bittersweet time in his father's life, one that he never fully recovered from, and as a result died a broken man. The event affected Mavis greatly as well, and what caused a grief-stricken Mavis to run away and ultimately meet up with Zeref once more._

* * *

Erza stood before Makarov, stunned and confused. "I don't understand," she began, "why would Zeref come _here_ looking for the First? Her grave is on Tenrou Island. And what good is a dead body to Zeref?"

Makarov paused for a long moment before answering. "It's true that Mavis' grave is on Tenrou Island, but that's not where her body is kept."

Erza's eyes again grew wide.

"The main duty of Guildmaster of Fairy Tail is to protect the location of the First Master's body until a time when she can be revived."

"R-revived?!"

Makarov nodded. He paused, then added, "Thank you for your report, Erza. It's time you rested also."

"Yes, Master," she answered, turning to open the door and walked downstairs to the bar for a slice of something sweet.

When the door closed softly behind her, Makarov sighed and turned his attention to a door in the corner of the room. He followed his feet through the unassuming doorway, down a winding staircase, through a set of ornate doors, until he finally stood before the crystal tomb of the First Master. He paused to gaze up at her and sighed, an eternally peaceful expression on her face.

It was at that moment that a thought occurred to him, and he rushed out of the room and up the stairs as fast as his elderly frame would allow.

"I swear to you Mavis," he said quietly, "whatever Zeref has planned, I will protect you and this guild with my life."

* * *

Lucy had to squint her eyes for a few moments until she could adjust to the lighting of what she realized was, once again, the infirmary. Slowly she fully opened her eyes, and scanned the room from where she lay: her wrists on both sides were wrapped as a safety measure, and her shoulder where she had been wounded was bandaged and her arm put in a sling to minimize movement; Happy was curled up at her feet, purring softly and occasionally mumbling in his sleep, and off to her side in an old wooden chair sat Natsu, arms crossed across his chest and snoring as his head leaned back. Her keys were laying on the nightstand next to the bed, safely tucked away in their leather pouch, and a glass of water was within reach, ready to go. The window was closed, although the curtains were open to let the natural light flood the room.

It was the same bed she used the last time she visited.

 _Great, I must have a standing reservation now_ , she thought to herself as she tried to slowly sit up, only to find her shoulder protested the sudden motion. Lucy let out a quiet hiss of discomfort as her hand instantly reached up to grab her shoulder, trying to will away the dull throbbing that now radiated from the area. Her gaze wandering to the nightstand, she grabbed her pouch and held it to her chest, thankful for their safety. She then turned to the window, and as she gazed out at the open water beyond it, her thoughts took her back to that little room in the mountain: Seeing Aquarius again, finally learning the truth about Grammi's death and vindicating her mother in the process, Brandish's chilling words and the depth of corruption her dark soul revealed...The danger in which she put Natsu and her friends.

The danger that had still to descend upon them.

It was then that Lucy realized she was being watched. Without turning away from the window, she replied softly, "I seem to be making this a habit lately, huh?"

"No more than me and Gray."

Judging from the pause that followed, she guessed that he was thinking about the same thing she was: the impending battle that was quickly bearing down on them and the sleepy town she had grown to love. "It doesn't look good for us, does it?" she asked softly.

She didn't have to wait long as an equally soft voice hummed in response.

"I still believe in you," Lucy said, as she turned to look back at him. "You know that, right?"

A slight blush warmed Natsu's cheeks at the unexpected praise. "Yeah, sure," he stammered awkwardly.

"Good, because I have my own score to settle," Lucy said, letting a small smile slip across her lips, although it didn't extinguish the fire burning in her eyes.

Natsu returned it. "Yep, no one messes with Fairy Tail and gets away with it." Standing from his seat, he held out his hand. "Come on, let's go get some food. I'm starving!"

Lucy rolled her eyes at him, but this time the smile reached them. "All right, but you're buying this time. You owe me at least one meal."

"Deal," he said grinning, grabbing her hand and gently pulling her out of the bed. Then, he grabbed a handful of blanket and gave it a hard tug, sending Happy falling to the floor in a heap of bedding. "Come on Happy, I'm buying lunch!"

Putting on her belt and returning her precious keys to their rightful place, Lucy turned to the mound on the floor as well. "I'm sure Carla and the others want to see you too, you know."

At that prompting, the pile of blankets on the floor shot straight up in the air, and with a flick of his wings Happy shed his covering and was at the door. "Aye sir! Don't want Lucy to clean out the kitchen either."

"Seriously!"


End file.
